Hockaday is filled with talented, confident and insightful Upper Schoolers, and in my last year, I want to learn about as many students as possible. And the best way to do so is, of course, over a scoop of ice cream. This issue, I took the one and only Caroline Hayes —storyteller and Hockaday’s Poetry Out Loud representative — for ice cream, and she had quite the scoop to share.
When listening to my classmates who have graced the Hockaday halls since Lower School reflect on their time in jumpers, stories of Rotunda Rocks, the PreK Circus and Fun Day often surface. Another tradition that sparked a deep passion for literature for many students is the Hockadaisy Magazine, an annual publication featuring creations from Lower School students, such as poetry. For sophomore Caroline Hayes, an eagerness to be considered for the Catherine Patrizi Poetry Award, a Lower School award honoring former student and poet Catherine Patrizi, fueled her passion for writing.
“We read this poem in third grade about a safety pin that made it sound like the most incredible thing in the world,” Hayes said. “The point that anything can be made to sound poetic is so fascinating. I learned that music and physical art are just different forms of wordless poetry, which is all storytelling.”
Encouraged by her Middle and Upper School English teachers, Hayes continued writing and submitted poems to the Poetry Society of Texas competitions, where she won first place three different years. Exploring topics from justice to everyday beauties, Hayes has learned to write poems not only for others’ enjoyment but also for herself.
“I learned at some point along the way that writing something personal and vulnerable in my poetry, because I wanted to write it and not to share, is when I create my best work,” Hayes said. “I have a composition notebook of stuff that I write throughout the year for myself and for competitions and then pick my favorites to submit.”
In addition to writing poetry, Hayes participates in Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation competition, and has been chosen to represent Hockaday at the regional round. Drawing on her love of Shakespeare and her background in theater and songwriting, Hayes views the competition as another way to share emotion through storytelling.
“Performance and recitation are a two-way street,” Hayes said. “You’re giving out energy and you’re getting energy back. There is something about being in front of people that makes everything feel more lyrical and easier to just let the tone come out of me.”
For the past five years, a Hockaday student has advanced to the state level of the competition, and Hayes has spent numerous hours memorizing and reciting her poems in the mirror to continue this legacy.
“As soon as you get up in front of somebody else, you remember about 60 percent of your recitation,” Hayes said. “If you can’t do it in your sleep, you won’t be able to [do it] in front of so many others, including three judges. So, understanding textual analysis in addition to memorization is important in resonating with the poem and knowing it in your bones.”
Although Hayes is nervous for the regional round occurring this February, she trusts the time and effort she has dedicated to preparation.
“Readiness is not a feeling,” Hayes said. “It’s a decision.”
